Today, there are numerous situations in which digital content items (e.g., files, text, graphics, etc.) are arranged in a structured or hierarchical manner. For example, file directories provide a hierarchical structure in which files are organized. In a typical file directory viewing program, upon receiving a selection of a particular directory of the file directory, files and sub-directories of the selected directory are typically displayed on a user interface. A user may then either select a displayed file or select a displayed sub-directory. If a displayed sub-directory is selected, files and sub-directories of the selected sub-directory are typically displayed on a user interface. In this manner, a user may search through various layers a file directory that organizes files in a hierarchical structure.
Many other hierarchical structures exist for organizing digital content items. In the context of a business directory, for example, business names are arranged by categories and often, also by sub-categories. Examples of business categories include banks, hotels, restaurants, and the like. As an example of sub-categories, the restaurant category, may have sub-categories of Chinese restaurants, Italian restaurants, and the like. In this manner, business names may be organized into the hierarchical structure in a logical manner, allowing a user to more easily locate a desired business name.
Despite improvements in software, the presentation of structured digital content items is still a very time consuming process. For example, to view digital content items in an advertisement compilation such as an electronic Yellow Pages telephone directory, a user may navigate through a series of complex screens and drop-down menus to find and view a particular advertisement. Alternatively, a user may search on particular keywords and then scroll through the search results to view a particular advertisement. This may take a multitude of keystrokes until the desired advertisement is found.
Further, with conventional systems and methods, the order of displaying categories and digital content items remains constant. That is, each time a user navigates through the series of complex screens and drop-down menus, the same ordering of categories and digital content items is used. Therefore, even if a user typically searches for and selects Italian restaurants, the user may have to spend a long time searching through the entire list of restaurant categories before reaching the Italian restaurant category. Each time the user searches for a particular category or digital content item, the user searches through the entire list of categories or digital content items in their original order.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a system and method for rapid presentation of structured content.